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    SubjectRe: Why is Nvidia given GPL'd code to use in closed source drivers?
    Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu wrote:
    >
    > On Tue, 07 Jan 2003 10:08:00 +0100, Helge Hafting <helgehaf@aitel.hist.no> said:
    > > loss. Giving away driver code (or at least programming specs)
    > > wouldn't be a loss to nvidia though - because users would still
    > > need to buy those cards.
    >
    > It would be a major loss to nvidia *AND* its customers if it were bankrupted in
    > a lawsuit because it open-sourced code or specs that contained intellectual
    > property that belonged to somebody else.

    Perhaps their driver contains some IP. But I seriously doubt the
    programming specs for their chips contains such secrets. It is
    not as if we need the entire chip layout - it is basically
    things like:

    "To achieve effect X, write command code 0x3477 into register 5
    and the new coordinates into registers 75-78. Then wait 2.03ms before
    attempting to access the chip again..."

    Something is very wrong if they _can't_ release that sort of
    information.
    Several other manufacturers have no problem with this.

    > In the real world, ideology needs to be tempered with realism.
    >
    Sure. But in this case, it is more about common sense than ideology.


    Helge Hafting
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